To minimize the Access ribbon when a database opens, add the following line of VBA:
CommandBars.ExecuteMso “MinimizeRibbon”
To prevent the ribbon from displaying at all, add this VBA statement:
DoCmd.ShowToolbar “Ribbon”, acToolbarNo
Creating a macro called Autoexec forces actions to take place as the database opens. For example, if you need to run a procedure to determine who the user is in order to enable or disable certain features before the first form is displayed, the developer could write a VBA function (must be a Function, not a Sub) to perform the necessary tasks, then code the Autoexec macro to launch that function via the RunCode command.
Holding down the Shift key before you open the database will suppress any steps that normally automatically kick off on startup (launching the first form, running an Autoexec macro, etc). In addition, if you had set the options to not display the Navigation pane, the Shift key on the open will redisplay the navigation pane. This does not undo the option to hide this pane, it is just temporarily redisplayed while you have opened the database.